Governor Jerry Brown appointed the 17 year old to take over the position back in March. It was then that she said, “I am very humbled, honored and excited. This is a huge responsibility because I will be representing millions of my peers across California. We all share a common goal and that is a quality education for all.”

Gema Quetzal Cardenas has a long history of civic participation, having been on the Governing Board of Oakland Unified School District’s (OUSD) All City Council (ACC) Student Union since 9th grade. Along with serving as one of two Student Directors on the OUSD Board of Education, she has also served as a student leader on the District’s Sanctuary District Task Force. “With the rise of the new political climate targeting immigrants and Muslims, the most important issue to me today is the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants,” she said.